Over three years ago, international adoptions ceased in the small country of Kyrgyzstan, leaving 65 orphans stranded and 65 American families fighting to have their adoptions finalized. Altynai's Legacy Adoption Fund, in partnership with Lifesong for Orphans', mission is to provide financial assistance to those amazing families. January 2013 Update: $28,400 raised!!! Goal: $40,000

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Happy Birthday Altynai

April is a month of pivotal anniversaries for me; both happy and sad. It was a year ago last April that President Otunbayeva, the past President of Kyrgyzstan, first announced that the moratorium on the adoptions was being lifted. She paved the way so that the Kyrgyz government could proceed with re-writing their adoptions laws. That was the huge leap that the waiting families had been hoping for. It was the first true glimmer of hope that the adoptions that had been pending for over three years could someday come to completion.

It was shortly after that announcement, on Easter Sunday, a year ago, that I decided that I wanted to do something to help provide financial assistance to those waiting families. My idea of Altynai's Legacy Adoption Fund was born! I was so excited and intimidated by the prospects of the plan that was forming in my head. Little did I know how daunting, challenging and yet incredibly rewarding this journey would be for me. I can't even put the experience into words other than to say that I was led to do this and God has blessed me and this fund, many times over during the last year.

That leads me to the today's anniversary. Four years ago today on April 10, 2008, Altynai was born and abandoned in a baby hospital in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Little did I know how that precious baby girl would forever change my life and the lives of so many around me. I so wish that things could have been different for her. I wish with all my heart that instead of writing a post about her and the fund that I named in her honor, that instead she would be blowing out four candles on her birthday cake today. I absolutely breaks my heart to think about what could have been. Unfortunately, my hopes and dreams for her and God's plan were very different. Yet, I will be forever grateful that I was allowed to be part of Altynai's life's story and that she was part of mine. I love you Addison Altynai!

Please if you have time, take a moment to listen to Meant to Be by Steven Curtis Chapman. It is a perfect tribute not only to Altynai, the orphans of our world but also all of us. God has a plan for us and we are all perfectly made! ( Thank you Marie for sharing this with me - xoxoxo)

(PS: Don't let the Veggie Tales pics turn you away, the adoptive families make up for it.)